


Untitled coda to Grace Under Pressure

by CatMoran (akaCat)



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Angst, Episode: s02e14 Grace Under Pressure, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-18
Updated: 2005-12-18
Packaged: 2017-10-10 06:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,203
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/96641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/akaCat/pseuds/CatMoran
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>At the end of <span class="u">Grace Under Pressure</span> when Rodney got up from the shuttle bench to wave goodbye at hallucination!Sam, did anyone else think that maybe he'd left most of himself sitting on that bench? This coda addresses that possibility.</p><p>Thanks to narutootaku and saffronjan for the speedy beta. Any remaining errors are my fault. *g*</p>
    </blockquote>





	Untitled coda to Grace Under Pressure

**Author's Note:**

> At the end of Grace Under Pressure when Rodney got up from the shuttle bench to wave goodbye at hallucination!Sam, did anyone else think that maybe he'd left most of himself sitting on that bench? This coda addresses that possibility.
> 
> Thanks to narutootaku and saffronjan for the speedy beta. Any remaining errors are my fault. *g*

Rodney stood at the cargo door until it had closed completely, then turned back to the seats running the length of the rear compartment.

Only to see himself sitting right where John and Radek had put him when they'd all boarded.

"What, I'm hallucinating myself now?" Rodney stared at his other self, wondering why he would hallucinate himself looking like _that_. Sodden and bleeding _really_ wasn't a good look for him, not to mention how much his slicked-back hair showed his receding hairline. And was his skin always that pale?

It suddenly occurred to him to wonder which of them was real. He thought that thinking would seem to indicate that he was the real Rodney, but the other Rodney was probably thinking the same thing. Although he -- the other he -- hadn't said anything.

And he was awfully still; the only movement was the water running down his face and dripping from his clothing.

And although other-Rodney's eyes were open and he appeared to be looking at Rodney, there was no shock in his eyes, no recognition. No expression at all, really.

He stepped forward to stand directly in front of his other self. He waved a hand in front of the other's face, there was no reaction. He placed his hand on the other's shoulder and-

~_icy cold, completely still even to the lack of a heartbeat_~

-his hand passed clean through to fall at his side.

"Oh, _shit_." He shuddered, suddenly feeling far colder than his freezing, soaked clothing could account for. He tentatively touched the bulkhead paneling, and yanked his hand back after seeing his fingers disappear through the metal.

"_Radek! Colonel! I need some help here!_" He looked toward the front compartment, appalled but completely unsurprised to see Radek working steadily at his laptop and John calmly piloting the shuttle.

"Why the hell aren't you people watching me! Hello, does _hypothermia and concussion_ mean nothing to you!? If I get out of this I swear you're both earning the title of Fumbles McStupid _permanently_!" Radek and John didn't so much as twitch at Rodney's diatribe.

Damn it all! Why did his body have to be tucked so securely in the corner of the bench where it wouldn't fall over? And how much time had already passed since he'd stepped away from his body? If he somehow managed to get their attention would he just be sentencing himself to life as a vegetable or, worse yet, a barely-aware idiot?

But could he forgive himself if he didn't at least try? Atlantis _might_ survive without him, but could John? Well, yes. Probably. Much as he hated to admit it. But did he really want to put John through that, if there was a chance?

He was mildly surprised at how much of a no-brainer that was. So, he needed to get their attention.

He'd seen enough sci-fi and horror shows to have a fair guess at how much time would be wasted if he tried to communicate while non-corporeal. So, maybe he could regain some control of his body. Screwing his eyes shut he turned and forced himself to sit down in his body.

He shuddered violently, feeling as if he was embedded in ice. Unfortunately, it had absolutely no affect on his body.

He leapt away unable to stand the cold, and sobbed in frustration. He was running out of time. And it was all so utterly unnecessary! If the idiots up front were paying attention... if they hadn't propped him in the corner... hell, if the damned inertial dampeners were just _off_...

"Of course!" He snapped his fingers. He hurried to the hatch containing the rear control crystals. He couldn't open the access panel, but... he counted over carefully from each direction until he was pretty sure he knew exactly where the primary inertial dampener crystal was located. He thrust his hand in and-

Nothing.

"**No!**" he screamed the word, yanking his hand away with a violent jerk. There was a sharp pop and the shuttle lurched. He sighed with relief as he watched his body shift and fall forward, wincing as it hit the deck head first. "Well, doesn't that just figure? Now I've doubled my chances of permanent brain damage."

"Rodney!" John yelled from the pilot's seat before abandoning the controls and running to the rear compartment.

"Colonel-!" Radek cut off abruptly when he turned and saw Rodney's motionless body splayed on the deck. "Colonel, you must fly the shuttle, the shield-!"

"We're not bringing back a dead body. Get over here, I'll need some help." John's voice was firm as he quickly checked Rodney's body for respiration and a pulse.

"Muj boze, I did not know you have a death wish!" Radek said, standing several feet behind John and peering fearfully over his shoulder.

"What I have," John glared at Radek, "is very much a _life_ wish. Now get over here. Do you know CPR?"

Radek shook his head, shock shifting to panic. "I know theory, only. Colonel, you must-"

John snarled, "I 'must' work on saving Rodney. The auto-pilot will raise us to the surface."

"But if there is problem, the auto-"

"_Enough_!" John turned lightning fast, grabbing Radek's arm and pulling the other man down to the deck next to him. "I _will_ revive Rodney. _Then_ I will help _if_ the auto-pilot can't handle things. Right now, _you_ will do what I say." He handed Radek his knife. "I'll do CPR. You will cut Rodney's clothes off, find something warm and dry to cover him with, and warm him up. And you'll do it all without getting in my way. Understand?"

Radek took the knife and nodded nervously.

Rodney watched everything from a few feet away, hovering over the action in a disturbingly literal manner. He was relieved when John finally started CPR, hoping it wasn't too late.

Radek was already elevating Rodney's bare legs and wrapping his jacket around them when Rodney was startled by a faint rush of pain washing through him. "That's a good thing, right? John, I think it's working!"

At John's hurried instruction Radek activated several heat packs from the first aid kit, wrapping them in layers of field bandages and tucking them in Rodney's armpits and groin.

The next wash of pain seemed to engulf Rodney. As it receded he had a momentary feeling that was reminiscent of double vision, as he both felt and watched what was happening to him.

Finally, the pain crashed around Rodney and stayed. His head felt as if he was experiencing a lifetime of migraines all at once, his chest ached as if he'd just come out of a severe allergic reaction. The rest of his body was little better, cramped and so cold he thought he was burning. He whimpered.

"Rodney?"

John's voice had never sounded so sweet to Rodney's ears. He pried his eyes open and looked into John's worried eyes, trying to find the energy to say something.

John wrapped his own body-warmed jacket around Rodney and gently placed a scalding-hot hand on Rodney's cheek as Rodney began to shiver. "I thought I lost you," John whispered.

Rodney leaned into his lover and whispered back, "I nev'r left."

End


End file.
